The Hindu : Front Page : Day of murders in Delhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 01, 2006

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Day of murders in Delhi

Devesh K. Pandey

Tragic end for seven of a family and an old couple in their 70s

NEW DELHI: Nine murders shook the Capital on Monday. The victims included seven of a family found hacked to death at their Inderlok residence in North Delhi and an elderly couple found murdered at their East Park residence in the Karol Bagh area of Central Delhi.

The first case came to light around 7-15 in the morning when some neighbours noticed smoke emanating from the house of 45-year-old Om Prakash, who ran a cardboard factory on the ground floor. On entering the house, they found the bodies of Om Prakash's daughters Manju (20), Babita (17), Pooja (16) and Dolly (13) and son Anuj (7) piled up in a heap on the first floor. Their throats had been slit. The clothes worn by Om Prakash's daughters were in disarray.

Partially burnt bodies of Om Prakash and his 40-year-old wife Santosh were found under burning cardboards on the ground floor. Their throats too had been slit.

Relatives alleged that a neighbour who had been pestering Om Prakash to sell the building to him was involved in the gruesome killings. One of the relatives, Ravi, alleged that on Sunday the same man had again threatened him. "My brother-in-law had earlier lodged a complaint with the local police about the threats," he added.

The police picked up the suspect for questioning but have not come across any evidence indicating his involvement. Investigations, however, have suggested that the assailants were known to the family as the entry to the house was friendly.

Earlier in the day, angry residents shouted slogans against the police accusing them of trying to cover up the matter after some television news channels reported that the police had termed it a suicide pact. The residents also ransacked the suspect's house, following which police were deployed in the area.

Later, investigations into the case were handed over to the Crime Branch of the Delhi police.

In the second case, 74-year-old Dev Raj Grover, a retired Income Tax officer, and his 70-year-old wife Vimla were found murdered with their throats slit at their Karol Bagh residence. The police suspect the hand of their missing domestic help whom they had employed only four days ago.

According to the police, the bodies of the couple were first discovered by their son, Sanjeev Kumar, around 9-30 in the morning. There was some ransacking in the flat, suggesting that attempts had been made to search for valuables.

The building's security guard told the police that early in the morning he saw the Grovers' 19-year-old domestic help Sikander leaving with his luggage. The guard stopped him at the gate and took him to the servant quarters. However, Sikander managed to give him the slip.

Enquiries revealed that Mr. Grover had changed three domestic helps in the past month and Sikander was the fourth, employed through Kuber Placement Agency at Green Park Extension in South Delhi. When contacted, the agency owners gave Sikander's permanent residential residence of Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. They also provided his photograph to the police.

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